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Conservative Party of Georgeland
|ideology = |country = Georgeland |deputy leader = Russell Chambers |colors = }}The Conservative Party of Georgeland, '''often called by the nickname '''Tories or Tory Party, is the oldest political party in the United Islands of Georgeland. The Conservatives have governed Georgeland numerous times, most recently from 2007 to 2010. The Conservative government of Luke Macaulay was defeated at the 2010 election; no Conservative government has been re-elected since 1966. At the 2019 federal election, the Tories won only 29 seats in the 265-seat House of Commons, and 23.9% of the popular vote. This was their worst-ever performance and made them a third party for the first time. The party's present federal leader is the Hon. Tommy Pippins MP. At the state level, the Conservatives have governed each state multiple times, but are currently not in power in any state legislature. The Conservatives have no presence in Scoita, formerly their strongest state, following the total collapse of their vote and finances. Once the strongest party in the country, the Conservatives form the opposition in Bradmarch, Capitalia, East Mainland and Long Island. They are a third party in West Mainland and have no seats at all in the Delmago Island legislature. The Conservative Party is a member of the International Democrat Union. The party's official colour is blue, and is represented by blue on electoral maps and in electoral graphics. History Prior to about 1875, Georgeland did not have a formalised party system in its colonial Assembly. Instead, members formed into several 'factions', largely but not entirely divided around the issues of trade, independence and financial matters. The two largest of these factions came to be known as the 'liberal' and 'conservative' blocs but were largely based upon the personal leadership of individual politicians. In 1868, Philip Cooper became Chief Minister at the head of a government drawn largely from the conservative faction, with trade policies advocating free trade. Cooper's opponents in the Assembly were largely protectionists, and the distinct two-party divide dates from roughly this period. Though Cooper is generally considered to have been a Conservative Chief Minister, he was never formally the leader of the Conservative Party as a formal organisation. The foundation of the Conservative Party was the joint effort of Richard Manor, Cooper's protege, and Alexander Newman. Both men had come to admire the distinct partisan system present in the United States and the United Kingdom and, at the general election of 1879, led between them a united Conservative Party, with all candidates pledged to follow a united platform. The electoral rules at the time being somewhat different, the party did not have 'members' as such and candidates themselves chose to be known as Conservatives. The party won the election and chose Manor as Chief Minister, with Newman as Colonial Secretary and Treasurer (effectively Manor's deputy). It soon followed that the non-Conservative members of the Assembly formed their own united party, the Liberal Protectionist Party, though it would be decades before they enjoyed significant political success. Just two years after coming to power the Conservative administration collapse (it did not have a full majority in the Assembly) and Manor resigned, but in 1885, under Newman, the party returned to power. One of Newman's acts as Chief Minister was to table the first Electoral Act which formally established political parties. Though 1879 is generally given as the year the Conservative Party was founded, technically speaking it was not until the Electoral Act of 1886 that the party became formally registered and adopted its Constitution. Modern period Today Image The Tories have tried hard to shake the 'blustering' image of the 1980s and 1990s. Prime Minister Campbell Rhodes once described them as 'the party that writes angry letters to the paper'. The party has a reputation for railing against change and social ills but offering little as an alternative. Due to a series of scandals in the 1990s, the Tories have also been plagued by charges of corruption and misdemeanour, much as their British counterparts, though this attitude is changing. In recent years, the Liberal Democrats and their predecessors on the left have tried to paint the Tories as dangerous extremists, who will trample on civil liberties and abolish unions. This message resonates with many due to Tory actions in the past and key elements of the party manifesto. The influence of the Roman Catholic Church on the Conservative Party has also not helped their image, with their opponents painting them as puppets of the Church. While this message is popular with non-Catholics, it only strengthens support among Catholics. With the recent LDP infighting, however, the Conservatives have come to be seen as the inherently stable party and the party with the most discipline and consistent policies. This has won over some voters. The Conservatives have suffered also for their support of the Iraq War to oust Saddam Hussein. Though initially popular among many for this support, as the war dragged on and evidence of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq evaporated, the Tories came to be seen as little more than the Georgeland mouthpiece of the Bush Administration. This image has been reinforced somewhat by Richardson's visits to Washington and meetings with George W. Bush. Policies The Conservatives are a party of the right-wing, or possibly centre-right depending on your definition. In general, the Tories believe in small government, a strong military, a pro-U.S. foreign policy, 'traditional family values' and increased security to combat terrorism. Leaders No. Name Entered office Left office Born-died 1 Sir Robert Pearce 1 July 1891 18 August 1903 13 March, 1835 - 21 September, 1912 2 Sir Norman Calloway 25 August 1903 11 March 1912 13 January 1843 - 4 November 1921 3 Gregory Green 11 March 1912 17 April 1919 15 Fetduary,1860 - 13 November, 1938 4 David Turner 17 April 1919 3 December 1921 4 January 1848 - 3 December 1921 5 Frederick Eccles 3 December 1921 6 October 1932 1 May 1851 - 6 October 1932 6 James Gray 6 October 1932 21 April 1937 7 July 1870 - 21 April 1937 7 Bertram Powell 21 April 1937 24 June 1938 21 September 1880 - 4 October 1964 8 Harold Knight 24 June 1938 19 March 1944 16 October 1885 - 30 September 1956 9 Henry Baker 19 March 1944 1 September 1948 11 November 1890 - 3 May 1977 10 Bradford Smith 1 September 1948 1 October 1953 5 April 1895 - 6 June 1960 11 Stanley Baynes 1 October 1953 4 August 1965 5 September 1903 - 17 January 1974 12 Thomas Hunter 4 August 1965 7 May 1966 14 Fetduary 1914 - 16 September 1983 13 Zachary Tamworth 7 May 1966 13 April 1967 1 December 1900 - 15 March 1995 14 Thomas Richardson 13 April 1967 10 September 1970 1 May 1909 - 7 July 1984 15 Robert Fisch 10 September 1970 28 December 1983 6 July 1929 - 17 May 1993 16 Eric Edge 28 December 1983 16 May 1987 9 Fetduary 1932 - 17 David O'Reilley 16 May 1987 9 April 1992 18 June 1940 - - Eric Edge 9 April 1992 20 October 1995 9 February 1932 - 18 Shawn Hedges 20 October 1995 16 April 1997 17 December 1941 - 19 Michael Fisch 16 April 1997 2 August 1999 16 March 1954 - 20 Benedict Ingram 2 August 1999 23 July 2001 13 July 1940 - 21 Mary Byrne 23 July 2001 16 October 2002 May 15 1949 - 19 August 2019 - Michael Fisch 16 October 2002 October 1 2003 16 March 1954 - 22 Sam Richardson October 1 2003 16 April 2006 3 January 1951 - 16 April 2006 23 Luke Macaulay 16 April 2006 12 August 2010 May 16 1963 - 24 James Bradford 12 August 2010 6 December 2011 12 December 1960 - 25 Matthieu Solberg 6 December 2011 8 August 2013 1 February 1958 - 26 Lisa Chan 8 August 2013 28 January 2015 6 May 1964 - 27 Madeline Woods 28 January 2015 21 May 2018 3 October 1977 - 28 Michael Armstrong 21 May 2018 23 June 2019 3 September 1966 - 29 Tommy Pippins 3 July 2019 Incumbent 20 January 1959 - Deputy Leaders The position of deputy leader dates only from 1966, when the party constitution was changed to allow the existence of an official deputy leader. Prior to this, individual members of the parliamentary party had been considered as unofficial deputies in government or opposition, or had been designated as the "number two" person in the Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet, but held no official party position as such. Prior to 1966 The following people were considered as de facto deputies to the Conservative leader. No. Name Entered office Left office Born-died - Edward Hollows c. 1891 c. 1894 15 March 1840 - 7 December 1911 - Norman Calloway c. 1898 c. 1903 27 October 1847 - 11 January 1915 - John Frost c. 1903 c. 1910 6 October 1855 - 18 December 1942 - Frederick Eccles c. 1915 3 December 1921 May 1 1857 - 6 October 1932 - James Gray c. 1924 6 October 1932 7 July 1870 - 21 April 1937 - Harold Knight c. 1934 24 June 1938 16 May 1881 - 19 March 1966 - Henry Baker c. 1940 19 March 1944 19 October 1888 - 2 February 1956 - Stanley Baynes c. 1950 1 October 1953 5 September 1903 - 17 January 1974 - Jack Grady 1 October 1953 17 April 1960 10 March 1909 - 17 April 1960 - Arthur Leyton c. 1962 3 July 1966 1 June 1898 - 15 May 1973 Since 1966 No. Name Entered office Left office Born-died 1 James McKinnon 3 July 1966 1 March 1970 19 August 1910 - 17 October 1990 2 George Prentice 1 March 1970 23 January 1975 20 May 1922 - 16 October 2015 3 John Staples 23 January 1975 14 April 1979 10 September 1930 - 4 Gordon Freeman 14 April 1979 16 July 1982 18 December 1933 - 5 Frank Kearney 16 July 1982 28 December 1983 17 April 1934 - 17 August 2007 - John Staples 28 December 1983 1 October 1987 10 September 1930 - 6 Peter Briers 1 October 1987 16 May 1990 23 June 1938 - 7 Shawn Hedges 16 May 1990 20 October 1995 17 December 1941 - 8 Matthew Tulley 20 October 1995 16 April 1997 6 January 1942 - 9 David Shore 16 April 1997 19 March 2000 20 November 1948 - 10 Peter Cranbourne 19 March 2000 23 July 2001 7 May 1951 - 11 Nick Sheridan 23 July 2001 19 October 2004 15 May 1961 - 12 Luke Macaulay 19 October 2004 6 May 2006 16 May 1963 - 13 Martin Higgins 6 May 2006 12 August 2010 6 May 1949 - 14 Mary Byrne 12 August 2010 8 August 2013 15 May 1949 - 19 August 2018 15 Michael Armstrong 8 August 2013 21 May 2018 30 September 1956 - 15 Lisa Chan 21 May 2018 223 June 2019 6 May 1964 - 15 Russell Chambers 3 July 2019 Incumbent 18 March 1959 - Category:Georgeland Category:Georgeland political parties Category:Organizations